


you came into the picture like a natural

by cornerstones



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: (but not really), Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Casual Sex, Developing Relationship, Fluff, Happy Ending, Keith (Voltron) is Bad at Feelings, M/M, POV Keith (Voltron), a little bit which leads to a bit of, no on screen sex is happening tho
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-02
Updated: 2019-01-02
Packaged: 2019-10-02 19:57:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,200
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17270120
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cornerstones/pseuds/cornerstones
Summary: Keith chances a look underneath the covers and cannot help the low curse that escapes him at what he sees.He's dressed. They both are. Shit.---One day Keith realizes that the casual sex he's been having with Shiro isn't maybe so casual after all.





	you came into the picture like a natural

**Author's Note:**

> title taken from "better" by syml

When Keith wakes up, it takes him a long time to gather his surroundings; there's a streak of sunlight beaming on his face from where the curtains weren't closed shut last night, the sheets he's wrapped up in feel a lot nicer than what he's normally used to, and there's a warm body in his arms.

The world suddenly comes fully back into focus and he opens his eyes at once. He freezes as he stares at the back of the head before him. After a moment (and definitely not after resisting to nuzzle into the soft hair presented to him, nope) Keith chances a look underneath the covers and cannot help the low curse that escapes him at what he sees.

He's dressed. They both are. Shit.

How could he let this happen? With a frown he goes to rest his forehead on Shiro's neck. (And yeah, he knows that he shouldn't do that but he's disappointed in himself so he lets himself indulge in this, at least.) This wasn't the plan. At no point had this been the plan and Keith believed that their... thing wouldn't get out of hand.

When he saw Shiro in a bar five weeks ago he immediately noticed his more than handsome face and the wide and frankly beautifully built shoulders and he knew he might've been in for a good time for the night. The way Shiro's eyes roamed over Keith's own appearance when he introduced himself told Keith that the feeling was mutual. And well, if they'd been able to hold a conversation that actually turned out to be quite captivating before they even made it to the bed, even better.

But, in Keith's experience, good things never really last, so if something nice comes along, it's best to enjoy it for a little while and then get out before the good memories quickly turn sour. And normally he lived by this rule without exception – but when Shiro mentioned he'd only be in town for a few months max and the night turned out to be _quite something_ , Keith just might have gone back to the bar three days later. And Shiro just happened to have come there as well. Who was Keith to say no to casual (amazing) sex for a few months with someone with whom he was compatible in bed and with whom he could actually hold an interesting conversation for more than five minutes.

As it turned out, the more they met up the longer they spent their time together in the bedroom, and maybe Keith chose to pretend that that was only because they fucked longer and not because of their talks before and after. (And he's also been ignoring how Shiro's just been so kind all the time and how he's kept on laughing about Keith's deadpan comments and how calm he's been feeling in Shiro's arms.)

But this was just sex. It was supposed to be just sex but now memories of the last night keep flashing through Keith's mind and he remembers distinctly how they shared a bottle of wine Shiro had been given and ate their way through a plate of sushi from the supermarket that they both thought was disgusting. He remembers how hard they were laughing about Shiro's retelling of his college antics and how Keith refused to believe him when he recounted how awkward he was around cute guys.

He also remembers their discussion about sci-fi and how indignant Shiro acted when he found out that Keith preferred Star Wars over Star Trek. Which then led to Shiro putting on the very first episodes The Original Series to convince Keith of its greatness (Shiro's words, not his).

And somehow in the middle of Shiro throwing in random trivia knowledge and Keith laughing about the action sequences, they fell asleep. It was weird. Falling asleep together, _cuddling_ , and not naked and sweaty and still a bit sticky from more exhausting activities than just watching TV.

Keith shouldn't have let himself fall asleep like that, that was not in their agreement, that was not what this is about, they didn't meet up for something quite as domestic as cuddling and talking, they were not –

With a start, Keith notices Shiro sleepily taking Keith's hand which is still draped over his torso and guiding it to his mouth to give it an uncoordinated kiss.

“Morning.”

God, Keith forgot how wonderfully raspy Shiro's voice sounds first thing in the morning.

“Morning,” Keith mumbles into his nape. He listens to Shiro slowly waking up and stays as still as possible. This still doesn't feel... adequate.

“Okay, no, this is weird, get up, we need to have sex like. Now.”

Keith feels Shiro stopping in his motions before turning around carefully to face him.

“...what?” he asks, still a bit groggy, and winds his fingers through Keith's dark hair. Keith is admittedly a little appalled that Shiro doesn't seem to recognize how dire their situation is, what it implicates. (Or maybe Shiro just chooses to ignore it because this feels natural, an unwanted voice in his head pipes up which he fervently tries to block out.)

“This...,” he trails off, lost. Talking about emotions has never been Keith's strong suit and he always feels way too awkward and terribly exposed in such moments. He chances to raise his eyes defiantly to look into Shiro's when he doesn't know how to end his sentence. But all he does is looking back with endless patience in his gaze that Keith doesn't think he deserves.

“We didn't have sex last night,” is what he decides to go with after a few moments.

“That is correct,” Shiro replies, one eyebrow raised, almost teasingly.

“We never do that though. Or, _not_ do that. So we gotta catch up on that. Let's do it now, come on, get up.” With a new surge of determination Keith sits up in bed and starts shoving Shiro lightly to motivate him to follow in kind. All he gets for his efforts though is Shiro chuckling lowly while he stretches his body languidly.

“Can I at least get some coffee first?”

With an indignant grunt, Keith detangles himself from Shiro and the blanket and gets out of bed to march towards the kitchen determinedly. He knows by now where Shiro keeps some instant coffee for emergencies and since Keith would definitely classify this situation as such, he prepares a cup and carries it back to bed where Shiro awaits him with a curious and deeply amused look on his face.

(And he is absolutely positive that there is no trace of fondness in Shiro's eyes when he spots the cup in his hands, none at all.)

Sitting up, Shiro accepts the coffee with an amused quirk of his lips and gratefully takes a few sips.

“Okay, now. C'mon, get up. Get hard,” Keith all but commands and starts taking off his shirt.

Shiro snorts a laugh into his coffee: “I think you might overestimate me a bit here.”

Keith ignores his objection and instead busies himself with getting rid of his pants after throwing his discarded shirt somewhere on the floor. Stripped down to his boxer briefs, he looks up again to see Shiro already watching him. Or more accurately, Shiro tracing his eyes over every exposed inch of skin presented to him.

Cocking his eyebrow, Keith keeps his eyes focused on Shiro's face as he takes off his underwear, this time slower than he did with the rest of his clothing. And this time noticing Shiro's intense gaze and how he quickly wets his lips, unconsciously it seems. Keith steps closer to the side of the bed where Shiro is still sat and still in his clothes, annoyingly, and indicates the cup he is also still holding in his hand: “You've had enough coffee now?”

Roaming his eyes up his body to finally land back on his eyes, Shiro just nods slowly, appreciatively.

“Good.”

With that Keith takes the coffee and takes a quick gulp himself before putting it on the nightstand. He doesn't wait to be asked and promptly straddles Shiro's hips; he tangles his hands in his hair to angle his head up so he can catch his lips in a heated kiss which Shiro seems all too eager to answer with just as much intent.

*

“I should get going.”

Unceremoniously, Keith starts lacing up his boots and grabs his jacket from the coat hanger. Even though they'd had sex and after that had jumped in the shower (together of course, Shiro could hardly argue with Keith saying “it's only efficient, Shiro – save water, save the planet”), they had put together a rather decent breakfast during which Shiro tried to convince Keith to give Star Trek another chance. Keith has only just noticed how long he's been staying and how overly comfortable he's started to feel.

 _Leave, immediately_ , an inner voice urges him, while another one remarks that if he's already feeling so comfortable then maybe he should explore this newfound calm and not run from it. That voice can go fuck itself, Keith thinks surly.

Putting his phone in the pocket of his jacket, he faces Shiro, who's leaning against the doorframe to the kitchen.

“I'll probably be back at the bar some nights this week, so if you got a few hours to spare...”

With that he turns to go but Shiro's voice stops him in his actions: “How about dinner?”

Keith feels his heart rate picking up and it's now beating loudly in his ears. He looks over his shoulder, not fully turning around, not wanting to acknowledge what he knows Shiro is asking. His voice doesn't waver: “Bit early for that, isn't it? It's just past eleven.”

Shiro seems to study his face for a moment before his lips form a tentative smile: “Why don't we start calling this what it is?”

Not entirely trusting his voice, he just frowns and cocks his head innocently.

“Keith...” The hint of a smile playing around Shiro's lips is still in place. “I want to go out on a date with you.”

Keith averts his eyes and tries to swallow down the small wave of panic that's set free at those words.

“I know this is not just me, that I don't imagine this. We _work_ , Keith. And I want to see more of you.”

Keith doesn't know what to say at first. But there Shiro is again, just letting him take his time and waiting for his answer with his never-ending patience for Keith's stunted emotions and all he can think is _I don't deserve him_.

“You're not gonna stay in town,” Keith finally mutters and sees Shiro frown slightly in his peripheral vision.

His smile is gone but his voice remains soft: “I wouldn't stray too far though. And besides, this is just a job. I can be transferred at some point. I could just as well work here. Or just somewhere closer.” He takes an audible breath. “These things do work out sometimes, Keith. And I wanna try that. But only if you want to as well.”

Suddenly Keith remembers he was never good with trust falls. He'd always been fine with throwing himself into something unknown, something risky, and then either caught himself or fell down, alone, not hurting anyone and not getting hurt by anyone in return. But to trust someone else to catch him has never been an appealing thought.

He's still holding onto the door handle.

This is important, he realizes with a start. This actually feels like one of these life-altering moments that you will think about for a long time to come and either be glad about the choice you made or utterly regret it and he doesn't know what to do.

Damn it, this was meant to be just fun. It was supposed to mean absolutely nothing. He sees his own hand on the handle, still gripping but otherwise unmoving.

“I don't know...,” he says quietly but, of course, Shiro hears it anyway.

“I'm not asking for your hand in marriage here, I'm not even asking for a promise. I just want a chance.”

Keith bites his lip.

“I want to know you.” Shiro breathes out a surprisingly nervous sounding chuckle: “Just give us one date for now. People do that all the time, right? You don't think that one date with me is a scary prospect, do you?”

A pause.

Then, with his heart in his throat, Keith releases the door handle.

“I think you might overestimate me a bit.”

Slowly, he turns around again and looks into Shiro's warm eyes. He's no longer leaning against the doorframe and his hands hang a bit uneasily at his sides but his smile is back, this time more hopeful than before.

“I really don't think I do.”

Keith feels an open smile grow on his face and he takes a few steps to bridge the distance between them. Shiro's arms wind themselves around him immediately, readily. And as he is engulfed by Shiro's by now familiar warmth and feels his lips against his own, Keith finds he doesn't mind falling too much.

 


End file.
